Orthoptist vs ophthalmic technician

The differences between orthoptists and ophthalmic technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an orthoptist has an average salary of $69,904, which is higher than the $44,042 average annual salary of an ophthalmic technician.

The top three skills for an orthoptist include prism, eye movements and exam rooms. The most important skills for an ophthalmic technician are patients, patient care, and ophthalmology.

Orthoptist vs ophthalmic technician overview

	Orthoptist	Ophthalmic Technician
Yearly salary	$69,904	$44,042
Hourly rate	$33.61	$21.17
Growth rate	-	16%
Number of jobs	749	19,063
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Average age	49	41
Years of experience	-	2

Orthoptist vs ophthalmic technician salary

Orthoptists and ophthalmic technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Orthoptist	Ophthalmic Technician
Average salary	$69,904	$44,042
Salary range	Between $49,000 And $98,000	Between $30,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Portland, OR
Highest paying state	Alaska	Oregon
Best paying company	Children's Hospital of Michigan	Eye Consultants of Atlanta
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between orthoptist and ophthalmic technician education

There are a few differences between an orthoptist and an ophthalmic technician in terms of educational background:

	Orthoptist	Ophthalmic Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Most common major	Ophthalmic And Optometric Support Services	Biology
Most common college	Duke University	-

Orthoptist vs ophthalmic technician demographics

Here are the differences between orthoptists' and ophthalmic technicians' demographics:

	Orthoptist	Ophthalmic Technician
Average age	49	41
Gender ratio	Male, 18.2% Female, 81.8%	Male, 16.8% Female, 83.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 2.3% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 7.0% Asian, 22.1% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 14.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 5.8% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	12%	6%

Differences between orthoptist and ophthalmic technician duties and responsibilities

Orthoptist example responsibilities.

Perform Tonometry (iCare, Tonopen).
Perform clinic work-ups/manifest refraction utilizing EMR, program and maintain laser equipment, clinical photography, and assist physicians during surgeries.
Project management and event coordinator responsibilities; Dr. Garcia hosts and attends numerous continuing education events yearly.

Ophthalmic technician example responsibilities.

Conduct computerized pre-test on patients including auto-refraction, automate visual field screenings and visual acuity.
Sterilize and set-up instruments for ophthalmic surgical procedures, assist with minor office surgery and laser treatments.
Perform vision examination; administer eye drops; obtain eye pressure using tonopen applanation.
Assist ophthalmologists in scribing during patient exams, retinoscopy, lensometry, laser therapy, and fluorescein angiograms.
Conduct several tests on patients including visual field tests, OCT, HRT, corneal pachymetry, dilation, etc.
Test patients for glaucoma using the necessary equipment and procedures

Orthoptist vs ophthalmic technician skills

Common orthoptist skills

Prism, 33%
Eye Movements, 24%
Exam Rooms, 16%
Patient Education, 14%
Tonopen, 12%

Common ophthalmic technician skills

Patients, 18%
Patient Care, 6%
Ophthalmology, 5%
Visual Acuity, 5%
Visual Fields, 4%
Surgery, 4%

Orthoptist vs. similar jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

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